Magnetic toy



June 10, 1924, v 1,497,382 c. A. ROLLASQN MAGNETIC TOY n Filed Jan. 15. 1923 z'sheers-sheer l I \L V .s

' 2 2e F/G. 6'. 4 5 5 kw/@963" I June 10 1924. 1,497,382

c. A. ROLLASON MAGNETIC TOY j Filed Jan. 15 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 bus QM'OQ a Patented June 1 0, 1924. i

STATES 1,497,382 ATENT, oFF cE.

onAnLns ARTHUR ROLLASON, or so ornroar, ENGLAND.

maennrro TOY.

. Application filed Jamal-y n, 1923. Serial no. 612,788. Y

To all whom it may concern:

of. amusement apparatus or toy which takes the form of a game, the skill of the operator controlling electro-magnetically the movement of a model so that it may be steered to some suitablevgoal by the operator or p ay According to this "invention, the apparatus comprises a flat, inclined, circular, or undulating track or platform over which a toy consisting of a model motor car, sledge, boat, figure or-other device is adapted to run on rollers, wheels or the like and be driven by mechanical means or to run or slide'by gravity, the steering of the device being controlled electro-magnetically by the operator, One form of the invention is illustratedin the'accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of an apparatus con sisting of an inclined table down which a model motor car runs by gravity under the electro-magnetic control of the operator,

Fig. 2 being a plan of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 an 1 end view in section. Fig. .4 is an inverted plan View showing the controlling mechanism of the motor car to a larger scale and Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the disp0sition of the collector wheels relatively to the metallic conductor strips. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing the construction of the switch mechanism.

In the preferred form the device shown takes the form of a model motor car 1 running on wheels. Let in tothe'in'clined table 3 or platform is a series of metallic conductor strips 4, a, connected in alternate sets or groups, say of threes, t0 the positive and negative leads 5 of an electric circuit,.

the current for which may be supplied from any suitable source 6 and either passed through a controlling resistance or otherwise. At one end of the platform is a switch 7, which isoperated preferably by a steering wheel 8 similar to that of a motor car, the switch 7 being arranged to control the supply of current to the strips 4, The

rear wheels 9, preferably, of the model motor car or other device are arranged to make contact across adjoining groups of the strips 4, 4, see Fig. 5, and so act as collectors to pick up the current from the strips, the wheels or collectors being connected to a solenoid 10 on the model car. In this way when the switch wheel 8 is turned in the required direction the solenoid becomes on ergized. The front wheels 11 of the car are pivotally'mounted at 11 on an axle 14 and are, preferably, normally so controlled by a spring 12 that they tend to swerve the car always in one direction, indicated by the tailed arrow Fig. 5, which would cause the car to pass to the right side of the platform 3', the solenoid 10 when energized turning the wheels in theopposite direction shown by the tailless arrow. At the lower end of the inclined platform 3 is a goal which ma take the form of a gar e door 13,-the widt of which may be contro led by means of two slidable anels 15.

The obyect of the player is so to control the -movement of the car or like device in runswerve say to the right the player turns the steering wheel 8 in the direction to close the switchand in so doing energizes the solenoid 10 which acts on an armature or core 16 having a pin 17 engaging a slot 18 in a lever 19 connected to the front axle of the car, pulling the front axle about its pivot 11 and causing the car to swerve to the left. The car would. continue tothe left side of the platform unless the player switches off the current, the spring control then again asserting itself and turning the car to the right. In this way by suitably controlling the toy device it may, by careful steering, be caused to enter the garage door 13 or other goal.

The metallic strips may be grouped in sets of three hand" 4 alternately connected to the positive and negative leads of the circuit, and the pitch apart of the rear or back wheels 9 is made such that they just bridge.

immediately the control wheel 8 is turned to the right or, left from any angular position of the wheel. This may be effected by fitting at the base of the steering wheel column 20 a collar 21'Fig. 6 of some'insulate ing material and having an annular groove in its periphery. Disposed round the collar in the annular grooveis ametallic yoke piece made up of two half-circular straps 22, 23, which are connected together about the collar by grip screws 24, the yoke piece being thus caused frictionally to grip the collar to any desired extent. One of the yoke pieces 23 is extended 'to form an arm 25 and near the end of thisarm ismounted a, contact terminal 26, a fibre or other insulating stop 27 being mounted on the opposite side of the arm. The arm itself is connected to one lead 5 of the circuit and the contact terminal to the other'lead, consequently, owing to the frictional binding of the contact arm, as the wheel is turned in one or other direction so is the contact arm brought against the terminal 26 or the stop 27 and the switch closed or o ened.

e steering wheel column 20 ishoused in suitable guides 28 and enclosed by an end casing 29. By varying the opening 13.by' the adjustment of the sliding panels 15 the intricacy of the game is increased. The core 16 may be guided in a dummy solenoid 10*.

Instead of a model motor car, other model devices may be employed and the track may be curved and undulating, and the model arranged to roll down an inclined straight,

curved, plane, or undulating track, or in-' stead of the model being actuated by gravity it may be positiwely driven, say by clockwork, in which dase the track could be flat, the same method of controlling the steering being applicable.

Instead of controlling the pivoted front axle by a spring, a weight may be used for this urpose and adjusting screws may be provided to limit the amount by which-the front axle may be deflected. Also, instead of the solenoi transversely to the length of the car, a solenoid may be disposed with its axle longitudinally and belocated under the bonnet,

the solenoid either acting directly on the front ax le or on an additional axle mounted above the wheel axle proper and connected- .thereto.

Various obstructions ma be fitted in the track so as to increase the ifliculty of steeringlthe device past such obstructions to the oa g I claim: v

1. An amusement apparatus, comprising, a" track, metallic conductors in the track,-a device for running on the track, steering wheels on said device, electro-magnetic means for controlling the steerin wheels, current collectors on the device, a apted to pick up current from the conductors, a source of electric energy supplying current totthe track conductors, and a switch mechanism for controlling the current supply to acting upon a core slidable.

nausea the conductors whereby the device is steered along the track.

2. An amusement apparatus, comprising, i

'set to the negative lead of an electric circult, a device for running on the track, steering wheels on said device, electromagnetic means for controlling the steering wheels, current collectors on the device adapted .to bridge across the conductor sets, a source of electric energy supplying current to the track conductors, and a switch mechanism for controlling the current supply to the conductors whereby the device is steered along the track.

3. An amusement apparatus, comprising, an inclined track, metallic conductors in the track, a deviceadapted to run down the track by gravity, steering wheels on said device, electro-magnetic means for controlling the steering wheels,- current collectors on the device, a source of electric energy supplying current to the track conductors, and a switch mechanism for ,controlling the current supply to the conductors whereby the device is steered. along the track.

4. An amusement apparatus, comprising, a track, metallic conductors in the track, a device for running on the track, steering wheelson said device, means normally tending todeflect the wheels in one direction, electro-magnetic means, for controlling the steering wheels in the opposite direction,

' current collectors on the device, a source of electric energy supplying current to the track conductors, and a switch mechanism for controlling the current supply to the conductors whereby the device is steered 7 along the track.

' 5. Anamusement apparatus, comprising,

a track, metallic conductors in the track, a device for running on the track, an axle pivoted on the device, steering wheels mounted on the pivoted axle, means tending to deflect the axle always in one direction, an arm on the axle, an armature coupled to the arm, a solenoid controlling the armature and deflecting the axle in an opposite direction, current collectors on the device, a source of electric energy supplying current to the track conductor's,-and a switch mechanism. for controllin the current supply to the conductors w ereby the 7' device is steered along. the track.

6. An amusement apparatus, comprlsmg, a track, metallic conductors in the track, a device for running on the track, steering wheels on said device, electro-m'a etic means for controlling the steering w eels, wheels on the device forming current collectors, and'adapted to pick up current from the conductors, a source of electric energy supplying current to the track conductors, and a switch mechanism for controlling the current supply to the conductors whereby the device is steered along the track.

7. An amusement apparatus, comprising, a track, metallic conductors in the track, a device for running on the track, steering Wheels on said device, electro-magnetic means for controlling the steering wheels, current collectors on the device adapted to pick up current from the conductors, a source of electric energy supplying current to the track conductors, and a switch mechanism for controlling the current supply to the conductors whereby the device is steered along the track, said switch consisting of an insulating collar, yoke straps frictionally engaging the collar, and an arm on-the straps adapted as the collar rotates to make or break contact with a terminal.

8. An amusement apparatus, comprising, a track, metallic conductors in the track, a device for running on the track, steering wheels on said device, electro-magnetic means for controlling the steering wheels, current collectors on the device adapted to pick up current from the conductors, a source of electric energy supplying current to the track conductors, a switch mechanism for controlling the current supply to the conductors whereby the device is steered along the track, and an adjustable goal at the end of the track into which the device is to be steered. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES ARTHUR ROLLASON. Witnesses:

HENRY ANSON, WILFRED Tmoim. 

